Uber facing fight to keep London operator's licence

Ride hailing-firm Uber will learn whether they have done enough to carry on operating in London tomorrow, following news that regulators are now “actively considering” a ban.

According to Sky News sources, Uber are involved in a desperate fight to avoid losing its London licence for a second time in two years after growing concerns were raised by Transport for London (TfL) about the company’s ability to identify its drivers.

A different source at Wired also said the minicab operator could soon be required to introduce biometric security features. The app could see drivers scanning their fingerprints or faces in order to continue operating in London.

On 24 September, TfL announced its decision to issue Uber London Limited (ULL) with a short-term two-month private hire operator licence ahead of consideration of any potential further licensing application.

The two-month licence had the same conditions that ULL has been subject to over the last 15 months, along with new conditions to ensure passenger safety.

According to a poll conducted by TaxiPoint, 39% of readers thought the US minicab operator would receive a ‘shorter’ operator's licence. Fully compliant operators are usually awarded five-year licenses, of which 38% of readers think this will be the likely outcome. 23% of readers thought TfL would deny Uber its licence.